Hola gente!
Una vez más me perdí en la intensidad de este viaje y me quedé sin letras. Ya no se ni por donde retomar o que decir. Hasta cierto punto pienso que quizás lo encuentren aburrido. Que me dieron un aventón de aquí a allá, que alguien me invitó a su casa a almorzar a pesar de no poder entablar conversación alguna por la barrera del idioma, que me hospedaron, que me regalaron esto y lo otro, en fin, todos los días algo mágico me visita, aunque sea minúsculo. Y que decir de los problemas ¡ah! Los problemas, hasta eso se volvió algo ameno ¿Y las amistades? ¡Ni hablar! El mejor regalo sin duda.
Bueno y ya que estoy hablando de gente. Lo más importante, la gente. Acá les voy a dejar algunas historias interesantes de encuentros y reencuentros. Uno de esos momentos mágicos que estoy seguro todos hemos experimentando, aunque nuestro viaje sea sólo para comprar un bollo de pan o una escapadita a la playa. Espero que lo disfruten.
Granada, Nicaragua y Ciudad de Panamá, Panamá
Llegué a un hostal en Granada, uno de precio cómodo, de esos donde los viajeros van y vienen siempre en direcciones opuestas. Allí conocí a Sarika, un domingo, con una sonrisa de oreja a oreja. Dije "hola" y luego "adiós" y ya más no nos vimos. El lunes conocí a otros viajeros, y el martes también y así hasta que volví a Costa Rica. Fue en esos días que entablé amistad con Juan, Cubillo, Alex, Mario y Christophe. Y ya con esa enfermedad en mi organismo, la enfermedad del viajero que crece y crece sin cura, no me pude contener más y nos vimos en Panamá algunos meses más tarde.
En una de esas noches calurosas decidimos ir a comer y beber en la ciudad. Juan me dijo -"Tío, vienen otros colegas, se va a poner bonito". -"A genial, comilona entonces". -"Si tío, cojonudo". Llegamos al punto de encuentro, una, dos, tres,cuatro personas y de pronto alguien grita:
-¡Pedro!
-¿¡Sarika!?
Eso es todo de momento. Espero tener más historias como estas pronto.
Saludos,
Pedro.
***********************************
Hello everyone,
Once again I got lost in the intensity of this journey and run out of words. I no longer know from which point I should catch up or what to say. To some extend, I think you might find it boring. That I got a ride from here to there, that someone invited me for lunch despite the language barrier, that I was hosted, that I was given this and that; and so on. Each day something magical comes around even if it is minimal. And what to say about trouble? Ah! Trouble! Even that became so very joyful. And friendship? Say no more! The best gift undoubtedly.
And now that I am taking about people, the most important, people, here I give you some funny stories about meetings and reunions. One of those magical moments I am sure we have all experienced, even if the journey is just a short walk to buy bread or a weekend at the beach. I hope you enjoy it.
Granada, Nicaragua and Panama City, Panama.
I came to a hostel in Granada, one of convenient price; of those hostels where travelers come and go, always in opposite directions. There I met Sarika, one Sunday, with a smile that crossed over all her face. "Hi", I said, and then, "bye", and didn't see her again. On Monday I met other travelers, and on Tuesday and so on until I came back to Costa Rica. During those days I became friends with Juan, Cubillo, Alex, Mario and Christophe. I was infected with that disease, the traveling disease, that grows and grows with no cure. So I couldn't hold myself anymore and we arrange to meet in Panama a few months later.
One of those very hot nights, we decided to go for a meal and some drinks in the city center. Juan said, -"Dude, some other friends are coming", -"Really? We are gonna have a big meal then", -"Hell yeah!". We arrived to the meeting point, one, two, three, four people and suddenly someone yells:
- Pedro!
- Sarika?!
Santa Fe de Antioquia, Colombia and Medellin, Colombia
I was traveling with Juan and Alex, what a team in Colombian territory! Anyway, one afternoon we went for some pizza in town. We ended up having a nice conversation with the owners and about so many topics as beers drank. When we wanted to go back to our hostel, one of them stopped us and said we could spend the night in his expensive hotel for one very small portion of the price as a sign of hospitality. We decided to decline the offer since they have already refused to charge one single beer and we considered the discount was too excessive. We didn't want to abuse his generosity. Some days later, walking in one of the many crowded streets of Medellin we run into each other.
- So whats up mates? Whenever you want stop by Santa Fe, we will be there.
Paris, France.
Going out from the airport I met Fernando. He helped me find my hostel and invited me to have a nice lunch at his place. He explained to me all the details I should know in order to go easily in such a big city. Then we waived good bye and automatically said, "see you then", knowing it wouldn't happen. However, a some days after, while I was once again lost in the city, someone shouted my name.
- Man! You are still in Paris?
Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
I went for a few beers with my friend Suada in Sarajevo. Once in the bar I met Adnan who asked me, using very traditional expressions, where I was spending the night. I answered that in a hostel, as well, trying to reply in such a Bosnian fashion. -"And why on earth are you paying for sleeping? - Well it's winter, can I stay in your house?" -"Of course! U pičku materinu!" (Translation not available).
Anyway, a few days later, while I was looking for some address, I stopped the first people I run into to ask them; however, they replied with a question which seemed weird to me.
- What is your name? - I was confused with such a question when asking for directions, but I replied anyway.
- Pedro.
- Aha! I see. From Costa Rica? - Now I was truly puzzled, how does he know I thought.
- Yes, so far...
- Aaah! Adnan is my friend too!
Senaki, Georgia.
I was on a truck after hitchhiking for a while. The driver was a bit exhausted with the language barrier and decided to call his wife to translate for us. It was just a brief conversation between English and Georgian. Then we moved on and enjoyed the ride until we reached and intersection. There we waved good-bye as we had to go on separate roads. But, just a few days after that, I was again trying to hitchhike, I think some 100 kms west from that point, and while I was walking to reach a gas station I heard my name accompanied with some laughter. It was the truck driver whose name I completely forgot.
Yerevan, Armenia
Beer, rock, merengue; beer, metal, hip-hop; vodka, beer, salsa; silence! Tamada speech.... kenats't! (Cheers). I was just enjoying one random night in Yerevan. There I met Michal Knitl, an amazing traveler from Slovakia. I told him about my experience hitchhiking in Georgia and Armenia and noticed how his face filled with motivation to try as well. That night I met Claire Hall with whom I was going to be traveling in such a way during the coming days. Anyway, the music stopped and we said good-bye.
The following day, while moving towards Goris with Claire, we decided to take one ride towards an old church. We saw another guy trying to stop a car and the driver decided it was fair enough to pick him up as well. The guy came in and all I heard was:
- Claire?
- Michal?
- Pedro?
Osijek, Croatia
After a few lifts some gypsies picked me up, so they said after presenting their names, which I couldn't pronounce and obviously forgot. We arrived to Osijek with the music out loud and in a car that mysteriously worked still. They left me at the train station, waved me good-bye, and wished me a nice journey with a childish charisma and a big smile. Some days after that, while trying to catch a ride from Vinkovci to Vukovar I had no other option than to walk. I arrived to a small town called Nuštar and among the trees at the side of the road I seemed to spot some people having a picnic. However, I didn't pay much attention and kept going, just to hear some whistling and some yells after a while. - "Pedro! Pedro!". I turned around a bit confused, -" who knows my name in the middle of nowhere?" I thought. I was surprised, there were the two gypsies who just said:
- Pa ti si Pedro! U pičku materinu!
That is it for now... I hope to have more stories like these soon.
Enjoy!
Pedro.
Santa Fe de Antioquia, Colombia y Medellín, Colombia
Viajaba en compañía de nada más y nada menos que Juan y Alex. Tremendo trío en tierras colombianas. En una tarde de tantas, decidimos ir por una pizza en Santa Fe de Antioquia. Conversamos por un buen rato con los dueños, sobre temas tan variados como cervezas degustadas, pero cuando decidimos marchar a nuestro hostal uno de ellos nos ofreció pasar la noche en su hotel lujoso por una fracción mínima del precio en señal de hospitalidad. Decidimos rechazar la oferta pues nos pareció un descuento desmedido y además ya se habían negado a cobrar una sola de las tantas cervezas que bebimos. No queríamos abusar de su generosidad. Varios días más tarde, caminando por una de las tantas calles repletas de Medellín topamos hombro con hombro.
-¿Entonces que hubo parceros? Cuando quieran vengan a Santa Fe, ahí estaremos.
París, Francia.
Saliendo del aeropuerto conocí a Fernando quién me ayudó a encontrar el hostal donde pasaría esa noche. Me invitó a almorzar a su casa y me explicó todo lo que debía saber para andar tranquilamente en París. Luego nos despedimos con un apretón de manos y con la frase automática "nos vemos" a sabiendas de que no pasaría. Sin embargo, algunos días más tarde, perdido en la ciudad para variar, alguien gritó mi nombre.
- ¡Hombre! ¿Todavía estás en París?
Sarajevo, Bosnia y Hercegovina
Me fui a tomar una cerveza con mi amiga Suada en Sarajevo. En el bar conocí a Adnan quién me preguntó dónde estaba pasando la noche utilizando frases célebres. Yo le contesté, igual tratando de adornar mi respuesta al estilo bosnio, que estaba en un hostal. -"Y por que carajos paga por dormir?" -"Diay no se ¡Estamos en invierno! ¿Me puedo quedar en su casa?". -"¡Pero claro! U pičku materinu! (traducción no disponible).
En fin, algunos días después buscaba yo una dirección y me detuve a preguntarle al primer transeúnte que me topé, sin embargo, para mi sorpresa, me contestó con una pregunta.
-¿Como se llama usted? - Me pareció raro, pero igual le contesté.
-Pedro.
- ¡Ah vaya! ¿De Costa Rica? - Que carajos pensé ¿Y este Juan Vainas como sabe?
- ¡Si! De momento...
- ¡Aaaah! Adnan es mi amigo también.
Senaki, Georgia
Viajaba por medio del autostop en un camión. El conductor muy amigable y algo cansado por la barrera del idioma decidió llamar a su esposa para que nos tradujera la breve conversación entre inglés y georgiano. Al llegar a una intersección le agradecí el aventón y nos despedimos. Algunos días más tarde, unos 100kms al oeste de aquella intersección, me bajé de un camión para tratar de tomar otro. Caminé hacia una gasolinera próxima y de pronto, entre carcajadas escuché mi nombre. Se trataba de aquel conductor cuyo nombre olvidé.
Ereván, Armenia.
Cerveza, rock, merengue; cerveza, metal, hip-hop; vodka, cerveza, salsa; ¡A callar! Tamadá habla.... ¡kenats't! (Salud). Estaba disfrutando de una noche variada en Ereván. Ahí conocí a Michal Knitl, increíble viajero de Eslovaquia. Le conté sobre mi experiencia viajando a dedo en Georgia y Armenia y noté como se le llenó la cara de ánimos para intentarlo también. Esa misma noche conocí a Claire Hall con quién viajaría varios días de esa misma manera. En fin, la música calló y nos despedimos. Al día siguiente, haciendo autostop hacia Goris con Claire, nos desviamos para ver una iglesia antigua. Vimos a un tipo tratando de conseguir un aventón y el conductor muy amigablemente se detuvo a recogerlo también.
-¿Claire?
-¿Michal?
-¿Pedro?
Osijek, Croacia
Luego de varios aventones me recogieon unos gitános, así lo dijeron luego de presentarme sus nombres, que por cierto no pude pronunciar y obviamente olvidé. Con música a todo volumen y en un carro que misteriosamente andaba llegamos a Osijek. Me dejaron en la estación de trenes y con una gran sonrisa y un carisma casi infantil me despidieron y desearon un buen viaje. Algunos días después, trataba de conseguir un aventón de Vinkovci a Vukovar pero topé con mala suerte y no tuve más opción que caminar. Llegué a un pueblito llamado Nuštar y al lado de la carretera, entre los arbustos, me pareció ver a unos tipos disfrutando de un picnic. No presté mucha antención y continué caminando. Al rato escuché unos gritos y silbidos. -"¡Pedro! ¡Pedro!"-. Me desvié algo confundido, ¿Quién carajos sabe mi nombre en medio de la nada? Y para mi sorpresa ahí estaban los dos gitanos.
- Pa ti si Pedro! U pičku materinu!
Eso es todo de momento. Espero tener más historias como estas pronto.
Saludos,
Pedro.
***********************************
Hello everyone,
Once again I got lost in the intensity of this journey and run out of words. I no longer know from which point I should catch up or what to say. To some extend, I think you might find it boring. That I got a ride from here to there, that someone invited me for lunch despite the language barrier, that I was hosted, that I was given this and that; and so on. Each day something magical comes around even if it is minimal. And what to say about trouble? Ah! Trouble! Even that became so very joyful. And friendship? Say no more! The best gift undoubtedly.
And now that I am taking about people, the most important, people, here I give you some funny stories about meetings and reunions. One of those magical moments I am sure we have all experienced, even if the journey is just a short walk to buy bread or a weekend at the beach. I hope you enjoy it.
Granada, Nicaragua and Panama City, Panama.
I came to a hostel in Granada, one of convenient price; of those hostels where travelers come and go, always in opposite directions. There I met Sarika, one Sunday, with a smile that crossed over all her face. "Hi", I said, and then, "bye", and didn't see her again. On Monday I met other travelers, and on Tuesday and so on until I came back to Costa Rica. During those days I became friends with Juan, Cubillo, Alex, Mario and Christophe. I was infected with that disease, the traveling disease, that grows and grows with no cure. So I couldn't hold myself anymore and we arrange to meet in Panama a few months later.
One of those very hot nights, we decided to go for a meal and some drinks in the city center. Juan said, -"Dude, some other friends are coming", -"Really? We are gonna have a big meal then", -"Hell yeah!". We arrived to the meeting point, one, two, three, four people and suddenly someone yells:
- Pedro!
- Sarika?!
Santa Fe de Antioquia, Colombia and Medellin, Colombia
I was traveling with Juan and Alex, what a team in Colombian territory! Anyway, one afternoon we went for some pizza in town. We ended up having a nice conversation with the owners and about so many topics as beers drank. When we wanted to go back to our hostel, one of them stopped us and said we could spend the night in his expensive hotel for one very small portion of the price as a sign of hospitality. We decided to decline the offer since they have already refused to charge one single beer and we considered the discount was too excessive. We didn't want to abuse his generosity. Some days later, walking in one of the many crowded streets of Medellin we run into each other.
- So whats up mates? Whenever you want stop by Santa Fe, we will be there.
Paris, France.
Going out from the airport I met Fernando. He helped me find my hostel and invited me to have a nice lunch at his place. He explained to me all the details I should know in order to go easily in such a big city. Then we waived good bye and automatically said, "see you then", knowing it wouldn't happen. However, a some days after, while I was once again lost in the city, someone shouted my name.
- Man! You are still in Paris?
Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
I went for a few beers with my friend Suada in Sarajevo. Once in the bar I met Adnan who asked me, using very traditional expressions, where I was spending the night. I answered that in a hostel, as well, trying to reply in such a Bosnian fashion. -"And why on earth are you paying for sleeping? - Well it's winter, can I stay in your house?" -"Of course! U pičku materinu!" (Translation not available).
Anyway, a few days later, while I was looking for some address, I stopped the first people I run into to ask them; however, they replied with a question which seemed weird to me.
- What is your name? - I was confused with such a question when asking for directions, but I replied anyway.
- Pedro.
- Aha! I see. From Costa Rica? - Now I was truly puzzled, how does he know I thought.
- Yes, so far...
- Aaah! Adnan is my friend too!
Senaki, Georgia.
I was on a truck after hitchhiking for a while. The driver was a bit exhausted with the language barrier and decided to call his wife to translate for us. It was just a brief conversation between English and Georgian. Then we moved on and enjoyed the ride until we reached and intersection. There we waved good-bye as we had to go on separate roads. But, just a few days after that, I was again trying to hitchhike, I think some 100 kms west from that point, and while I was walking to reach a gas station I heard my name accompanied with some laughter. It was the truck driver whose name I completely forgot.
Yerevan, Armenia
Beer, rock, merengue; beer, metal, hip-hop; vodka, beer, salsa; silence! Tamada speech.... kenats't! (Cheers). I was just enjoying one random night in Yerevan. There I met Michal Knitl, an amazing traveler from Slovakia. I told him about my experience hitchhiking in Georgia and Armenia and noticed how his face filled with motivation to try as well. That night I met Claire Hall with whom I was going to be traveling in such a way during the coming days. Anyway, the music stopped and we said good-bye.
The following day, while moving towards Goris with Claire, we decided to take one ride towards an old church. We saw another guy trying to stop a car and the driver decided it was fair enough to pick him up as well. The guy came in and all I heard was:
- Claire?
- Michal?
- Pedro?
Osijek, Croatia
After a few lifts some gypsies picked me up, so they said after presenting their names, which I couldn't pronounce and obviously forgot. We arrived to Osijek with the music out loud and in a car that mysteriously worked still. They left me at the train station, waved me good-bye, and wished me a nice journey with a childish charisma and a big smile. Some days after that, while trying to catch a ride from Vinkovci to Vukovar I had no other option than to walk. I arrived to a small town called Nuštar and among the trees at the side of the road I seemed to spot some people having a picnic. However, I didn't pay much attention and kept going, just to hear some whistling and some yells after a while. - "Pedro! Pedro!". I turned around a bit confused, -" who knows my name in the middle of nowhere?" I thought. I was surprised, there were the two gypsies who just said:
- Pa ti si Pedro! U pičku materinu!
That is it for now... I hope to have more stories like these soon.
Enjoy!
Pedro.
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